Renesmee's Attack
by Emerald4391
Summary: "Streaks of violent crimson were coming down from her eyes, dripping down her chin and onto the white of her dress..." Something has happened to Renesmee. Will they be able to solve the mystery in time or will they lose her forever?
1. The Attack

Author's note: Okay so here's the next chapter. It's a little rough but I want to make sure that this story keeps moving – I know how annoying it is to have to wait. I'll update as soon as I can! (Sooner if someone reviews!)

CHAPTER ONE

BPOV

It was like a choke, a sound of such despair it was pitiful. Something that was desperate and tired and regretful at the sound time. It was like a wounded animal, or a man taking his last breath, or the gasp of a woman who just saw her house go up in flames. That's where it all began, where my heart first started to be torn to pieces.

It was raining. A depressing shade of grey covered the sky, the raindrops seeming almost blue in comparison. It collected on the ground, forming puddles and mud that squished beneath the poor individuals that were stuck outside. Although I was now a vampire, I could not help but miss the sun. Its velvety rays that seemed to smile at me and brought life to all that surrounded it, coaxing the colors into the flowers and green into the matted grass.

The sounds outside were almost as sad. All was dripping, splashing, animals scrabbling for shelter and someone in the distance cursing as they and their umbrella came crashing to the ground. All the rest of the people remained inside, sitting in class with wet hair or at grey desks with soaked umbrella's dripping next to them.

I was sitting in my home, reading as Edward held my hand gently. I read and soaked in all the sounds, the sights, the feeling of his touch. I was still amazed by how spectacular my emotions were, how keen my senses. His hand felt warm now underneath my touch, for I was one and the same as him now. That was wonderful enough on its own. I was basking in the glory of it all, leaning over to kiss Edward lightly on the check when we heard that most disturbing sound.

Within a second Edward and I were standing above the bed, then rushing downstairs to protect Renesmee against what creature could make such a noise. With a blur we were there, looking around at an alarmingly fast rate for what it was.

And that's when we saw. Sitting on a stool next to the window was Renesmee, with one hand clutching the glass and another rolled into a fist. Her hand was down, a halo of brown ringlets hiding her face. She shuddered violently over and over again, nearly falling off her chair.

And from her lips came the sound, its volume increasing in intensity with every passing moment.

I ran to her, Edward close behind, and pulled her into my arms. She clutched me like I was a life raft and she was drowning at sea, still not looking up. Edward pet her hair back soothingly as I questioned her about what was wrong, a panicked look on my face and Edward's. And that's when she looked up and I saw them.

Streaks of violent crimson were coming down from her eyes, dripping down her chin and onto the white of her dress. It rested there in sharp comparison. Her once brown eyes were now almost completely scarlet with the blood, her mouth choking as she spat it out. And then came a moan, an earsplitting moan. I screamed at the sight and Edward froze in horror.

In a millisecond we glanced at each other and then we were out the door, through the rain that hit like bullets at this speed, clutching Renesmee with all my strength as I sheltered her from water. Edward was looking back hungrily, with a kind of fierce protection in his eyes that made anyone nearby clear that whatever had hurt her would have its eyes ripped out painfully. We reached the main house and burst in, screaming for Carlisle. He was there in a flash, lifting Renesmee from our arms, his chest seeming to tighten at the sight. But still, his face remained calm and he asked what had happed as he rushed Renesmee to the living room. Laying her on the white couch gently, he looked up at us as we shook our heads in confusion and cried that we did not know.

A feeling of guilt crept up on me as I thought about the pain she was enduring because I had failed to watch her, mixed with the intense sadness and anxiety. It felt as if someone was ripping my heart out. Then suddenly I saw red, my entire being shaking as I thought of the creature that had done this. I would tear it to bits, limb from limb, still living. Then I would slowly drain it of all blood, making sure the agony was unbearable for the evil monster.

The next moment Emmet and Rose arrived, out of breath. Rose stared at the sight and such grief welled over her that she collapsed, Emmet catching her just in time. As soon a she came to her senses she rushed to Renesmee, but Carlisle held her back, checking Renesmee over for where she had been injured. Immediately Rose's sadness turned into raw anger.

"What happened?" she hissed, sending Carlisle a glare as he clutched her arm. Emmet took her hand and yanked her away forcefully. Now she shot the same look at Edward and Bella. "What happened?" she screeched.

"We don't know," I murmured weakly. "She was alright and then all of a sudden we heard this sound and we came rushing down to find this -" I stared at Renesmee as the anxiety again threatened to choke my heart. I leaned onto Edward for support. At these words Rose cast us a look that clearly told us she wanted to rip us each to bits. Her face turned red and her hands clenched as she stared, her body tightening as if to get ready to pounce.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HER!" She sprang at us, fangs bared, before we could even respond.


	2. All is Blurred

Author's note: Hi I know it's been a while but I had some stuff to do… And I'd probably go faster if someone reviewed! Anything would be nice. A thumbs up, criticism… All who review get an imaginary cookie!

CHAPTER TWO

It happened so fast that all any human would see was that we disappeared. Like a candle flickers momentarily, so fast that one never has a chance to worry that it will go out. And then we appeared again, this time Edward clutching me close at the other side of the room and Emmet and Carlisle pinning Rose down, her cheek pressed to the cold, stone floor. Her struggles were so fast they were a blur, and even Emmet, the strongest of us all, was having a hard time keeping her still.

"Get off me!" she screeched, desperately squirming in his grip to no avail. She threw Emmet a sinister look that would have turned a mere mortal to ashes. Emmet merely glared tiredly back at her, years of companionship with her teaching him patience.

It was then that Alice and Jasper came rushing in, having heard the commotion from miles away and come running. Alice's black hair was windswept, eyes frantic, body twitchy and nervous. Jasper stood next to her, eyes stony and golden, hair askew as always.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, her questioning eyes surveying the room. Renesmee was blocked by Carlisle. "Rose, what are you doing?" she breathed incomprehensively. She stood there, silently, questioningly, staring in muted confusion. Jasper was frozen by her side, looking as though he wanted to join in on holding Rose down. Deep in his eyes, once I looked past the mask of feigned indifference, I could see a glimmer of anger at Rose's behavior.

At Alice's withering look Rose stopped her struggling and Emmet and Carlisle allowed her to stand, still clutching her arms in case she tried to lunge again. Her burning golden eyes started to dull a little. When she spoke she was calmer, but menacing nonetheless. "Why don't you ask them?" Her threatening glare met my eyes and it took all my strength to look weakly back.

"Renesmee's sick," I murmured, my eyes looking downward. It was if all my strength had been sucked from me. I felt helpless and sad, wishing it was me who was lying there on the couch, that the blood was mine and her pain my own. "We were in the house and then we heard this noise and we hurried downstairs but… It was too late." Now Carlisle felt it was safe to release Rose slowly, carefully watching her and wary of any sudden movements. Rushing to Renesmee's side he saw that she seemed to be sound asleep, making no movements. Gently and swiftly he began to look over her, lightly lifting her arms and legs and shifting through her hair in search of any cuts, contusions or other sources that might be the cause of all that blood.

Seeing the bloody child revealed to her, Alice's face showed severe concern. In contrast to the vulgarity of Rose's reaction, she rushed to Renesmee's side and gently took her blood soaked hand. The couch was bright with Renesmee's blood, and drops of crimson trickled down onto the floor. Finally Carlisle dared to carefully lift up her eyelids and look inside. They were still a disturbing red shade, but now the bleeding had stopped and the color began to gradually fade away from her eyes. However, it revealed startling white of her eye and dilated pupils that stared unseeingly. Carlisle had a sharp intake of breath, his face seeming to become panicked.

"She's unconscious," the words spilled out of his mouth. Every synapse of his brain firing rapidly as he prepared to take action, like the doctors in old movies who leaned over an open patient with little time, multiplied a hundred times. "I need to get her a CAT scan… And she needs a blood transfusion. She's lost too much blood… Her body can't handle it. We need to get her to the hospital. But…"

Edward rushed forward and grabbed Renesmee, hurtling toward the door. He was a blur of speed as he raced out, soon to be just a speck on the horizon. "Edward!" Carlisle screamed, running after him with me close behind. Trees whipped past us at a startling speed. "Wait, you can't just take her there!" His voice rang with desperation. "Her cells multiply startlingly fast! They'll know something's wrong!"

But Edward was too far away to hear his pleas, too distraught and panicked. Carlisle looked to me desperately as we sped along, Alice, Jasper and I right next to him. "You've got to stop him," he yelled towards me. "You're the only one who can catch up with him. Go! Stop him!"

And with that I ran full speed ahead, the world becoming a blur as I raced to save my child.


	3. Matchbox Cars and Hospital Walls

Author's Note: Okay so here's the next chapter. Sorry for taking so long. It may be a bit rough because I wanted to publish this as soon as possible… Thanks Saphire101 for reviewing! It's always appreciated! You get a free imaginary cookie!

CHAPTER THREE

"Edward!" I called. "Edward, stop!"

I had reached the road and he was a mere speck in the distance, running so startlingly fast no mortal would have been able to see him. I followed as quickly as I could, screaming after him.

Then he seemed to disappear.

I ran faster and faster, no longer following any one person but instead my keen sense of direction that led me towards the hospital. I continued down the road until the trees thinned, houses spotted here and there. And then the houses multiplied until there was so many it was a blur of brick and wood at this speed. Finally, I took a turn straight into the midst of the city, ducking behind cars and buildings as I went so people would not notice me moving at such an unnerving speed. Then there was the hospital, large, white and clean looking. Cars were parked neatly in the front, like one would see in a matchbox set.

Returning to a normal speed, I briskly walked towards the entrance as to not attract any attention to myself. I tried to fix my hair, which had fallen out of its ponytail and was now windswept from the chase. I caught the metal door to the hospital and took a deep breath to calm myself, smelling a strong waft of antiseptic, medication and sweat. I entered, my eyes flicking back and forth, searching for him.

The room was wide and white. In front of me stood a large, triangular reception area, one which two receptionists sat at opposite each other, typing away. To my right stood chairs along the walls, some vending machines that gave off a disturbing odor and a long hallway that I was only able to discern the ending of because of my vampire eyesight. To my left stood a large, pristine waiting area, one filled with uncomfortable black chairs and old, crumpled magazines.

I walked up to the receptionist that sat on my right. Her hair was tied up into a tight, blonde bun, her face pointy and severe. She was thin – her boney fingers typing ferociously on the keyboard, as her piercing grey eyes leaned in so far her black spectacles nearly touched the screen.

I tried to keep the panic out of my voice as I called out. "Excuse me?"

She seemed to wait to finish what she was typing before bothering to notice me. My heart was beating so fast with adrenaline I thought that if she took a single second longer I would rip her head off. Finally she looked up from her work.

"Yes?" Her voice was pompous and shrill.

"Has there been a young girl, about nine years old, bronze ringlets with her father in here?" I clenched my teeth as I spoke these words, although they came out as concerned and sweet. I turned by anxious grimace into a convincing smile.

"Are you her mother?" She inquired in a rather bored tone.

"Yes," I answered simply. "So I assume she's been here."

For a moment the woman looked me up and down, as if to say _you don't look like mother to me_. "I neither confirm nor deny this. Can I have some identification please?"

"Identification?" I squeaked. "What kind of identification?" I did _not_ have time for this! Nessie needed me. Couldn't the woman see the resemblance? Or at least give me a little information? My impatience grew even farther.

She did what I guess she thought was a discreet eye roll as her eyes dropped to the computer screen. "Driver's license or passport," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't have any," I carefully replied, my mask of calm beginning to melt away from the fire of irritation beneath. "And I don't see why that is important. I need to see my daughter. She is injured. She _needs_ me." My fingers drummed on the table. _Why was I even waiting here? I do not care if they unlock that door – I can tear it off the hinges with my shear strength! Along with this obnoxious woman's head! They would never be able to catch me! I could grab Nessie and be out of here in a matter of seconds…_

"Well I can't tell you where your daughter may or may not be," she snidely remarked back, interrupting the thoughts that came spurred from the heat of my emotions. She seemed to be enjoying this. "It's called the HIPAA laws sweetie. People have a right to privacy."

This snapped me back to reality and I realized that my thoughts had been irrational – to put more attention on Renesmee, to put further attention on me and reveal my powers after the woman had seen a clear view of my face would not only make the situation even worse, but also hurt Renesmee even more. They were mere thoughts that were driven by my anger and spite and concern. I attempted to calm my voice as I said the next few words.

"Did you not hear me? She. Is. My. Daughter. She needs my help. Now where is her room?" I had changed my tone to demanding, the heat beginning to rise in my face as I tried to remain cool and composed.

"I can't tell you that unless I have her positively identify you. I can call her if you like." She smiled mockingly in my direction. _What was her problem? Had she had a horrible day or something? Or was she just a horrible person?_ Ideas of ripping her head off floated into my head again for a moment, but I pushed them back with all my strength of will.

I ground my teeth with the effort. I could not stay here any longer – Renesmee was in danger. Who knew how long it would be until they took a sample of her blood?

Again my voice began to rise. "She's can't. She. Is. _Unconscious_. And she needs me. Is there any other way? Could her father give the okay?"

"I suppose," she groaned in a bored tone. The woman, who I could now read her nametag as Myrtle, picked up the phone and preceded to have a brisk conversation in a tone any human in my situation would not have been able to hear.

"There's this woman out front who wants to see her daughter. The one with the bronze curls, about nine – poor thing was covered in blood. This woman says she simply won't leave until she sees her and she's having a fit." So she _had_ seen her! I ground my teeth in frustration.

A pause. Myrtle's face became alarmed and her eyes briefly flickered up to me before turning back to the landline. The thoughts going through my head blocked out the hushed tones of the person on the other end of the line. I could care less about their small talk – just let me see my daughter!

"Okay. I can do that. That poor girl. Don't worry." Her voice sounded determined and stern. "She won't get _anywhere_ near her." Then Myrtle hung up the phone and gazed back up at me, her face showing signs of her forcing it to relax.

"Wait here. Your husband will be right out," she smiled in a way that I could only think she thought was reassuring. I didn't trust her. Her voice was like dripping sound poisonous honey makes as it falls from the buzzing hive. "There are seats to the left." She pointed to the waiting area.

Hating to have to wait with all my emotions and adrenaline so high, I hurried over to the seats. I tried to think of some other plan to get in – _charm a security guard? Find someone with a key and break in? Yes, that would be my way in – I had to find a nurse._ Leaning over I peered at Myrtle to see if she had one. _Nope._ _But whom is she talking to? She's acting like she's James Bond or something. _I strained to hear.

"…Yes, she's right here in the lobby. You'd better hurry, she looks impatient. And come armed. I heard that poor girl was a mess."

All of a sudden my senses went on high alert. My eyes flickered around the room - there were no other people in the lobby besides me. _Armed? Why armed? What did she think I had done?_ I couldn't run here – the women would see me and I could not afford to be outed as a vampire before I got to Renesmee. My heart rate rose even farther, until it was pounding in my ears and the adrenaline boosted my senses far out in each direction.

Then came the sound of footsteps.


	4. My Caged Heart

Author's Note: So here's the next chapter. It's the longest one so far – about double my previous. I'm starting to finally get the hang of writing fan fiction and publishing. Speaking of which, I just want to say sorry about the whole "Chapter two" headline one the third chapter thing. I've fixed it now but I took a while and I didn't want to do the whole, "edit the chapter so everyone gets an email or something saying that I've updated when I didn't" thing. I always find that really disappointing. Anyway (got way off topic there) thanks for all the reviews! I've hit a new record of three! Each is appreciated!

And now I'll just stop writing 'cause you want to read and if you're like me you usually skip past this part anyway… Enjoy!

CHAPTER FOUR

My eyes searched the entire room for entry points, careful to not move a muscle so Myrtle would not notice. Sitting to the right of the large, circular desk in the center and facing away from it, I had a nearly clear view of about half of the lobby. In front of me was a doctor's office – to my right the locked emergency room, to my left the large entrance to the hospital and, in my peripheral vision, completely behind me and on the other side of the room, two sliding doors, with keypads, that I could only assume led to the overnight patients. The exit points were clear, but I stood my ground – this was the only entrance to the hospital and there was no way that I would be frightened away from my daughter.

Then I extended my hearing to the sound of those looming steps – the steps were purposeful, orderly and brisk. My keen sense of direction and hearing intermixed and I could tell I had thirty seconds before they were upon me. Maybe three or four guards, I could tell that two were heavyset and one muscular. If they were armed it was probably nothing more than a taser and a bat or two. They were coming from behind me, where the overnight patients were kept.

I had about thirty seconds.

Standing frozen in the uncomfortable grey chair with a measly black pillow, my eyes flicked back and forth, fingers twitching and aching for action. My mind was a whir of thought.

_What were my options?_ I flipped through all the information I had in my head, furiously listing it off to my self in a low voice. _Two exits… Three or four guards… Two secretaries… No idea where Renesmee is… What can I do?_ _Ideas… Ideas… _My mind was blank, fear of the block of the ideas becoming the cause of that same block.

**25 seconds.**

Then it all came rushing back as I remembered my dear Renesmee, her adorable smile, perfect bronze curls… My mind cleared completely and I snapped into action. _Could I leave the hospital? No, I'll need to get in some other way and I don't know where that would be –besides, that would give them longer to tell everyone to come after me… Could I take on the guards? It would be easy, a few well-placed punches and I could knock them all out. But then I would have to get to Myrtle and that other secretary before they call for help… not as easy but do-able, although I would have to reveal my vampire identity. To do it even at black belt, irregularly fast and strong human speed I would not be able to accomplish the feat. I'm too outnumbered. And to reveal my vampire identity would make things worse. Guards, trouble and suspicion would fly across the hospital faster than an airborne virus. And by the looks of it enough attention was being paid to Renesmee already._

**20 seconds.**

My heart beat even faster and my breathes became short._ Could I try to run for my life? I could bolt so quickly they would see just a blur, no, less than a blur. I would have dissipated into thin air. And deep into the hospital in search of Nessie._

Looking around for possible exit strategies, I saw the area of the emergency room the closest. _That's where she would be, right? I mean, bleeding like that would bump you to the top of the list. But there's that pesky key card lock – and the doors seem too solid for me to rip off the hinges, not that I can even consider it an option…_

**15 seconds.**

_Oh God, oh God, oh God! Where could I find one of those cards? Wait, the area where the guards are coming from has another keycard lock…. They'd have to have them! I could just steal theirs right off their belts without them seeing me at all… No, I couldn't just disappear. They'd see me and warning bells would go off in each and every one of their little brains. _

**13 seconds.**

_Think, Bella, think! They're closing in. What do you have? Exit, yes, keycard, yes but no code… Problem: they'd see me disappear. Solution… I don't know! They have to see me, right? Where can I hide? _ I looked around the area, but besides a few chairs, a table and the secretaries' desk there was nothing. And I don't think Myrtle would let me hide behind her chair.

**10 seconds.**

I stood, bracing myself to take them face on. _This is a bad idea but I have no choice. Better for us to be discovered and Renesmee safe than keep our secret and have her shipped off to some research lab and poked at like an animal! _ My muscles tensed and my ears pricked, listening in and gathering as much information as possible so I could finish the fight quickly without attracting a lot of attention to myself. _Definitely only three guards, one fit and the other two tubby. There's one taser and a bat, according to the sound of it slapping against their sides. I'll take out the younger, fitter one down first, because he'll be the hardest to take care of. That way I'll have surprise on my side and he'll be out in two seconds. I bet I could smash the other two's heads together and they would be out like a light– or at least too dazed to move for a few minutes… God this will never work! I'll get caught along with Edward and Nessie. We'll all be shipped off!_ They were closing in now, so near I could hear each of their breaths, smell the sweat on the fattest one and hear the jiggling of his excessive belly fat.

**6 seconds.**

I got an idea. Practically sprinting up to Myrtle, I spat out, "Where is the lady's room?" in a hurried tone, complimented with a shaky smile. _Come on, come on! Answer me! I don't have all day!_

**4 seconds.**

She looked startled, pushing her spectacles up to her nose and looking back to where the guards were nervously. Seeming to surmise that telling me wouldn't make much of a difference, she pointed down the hall to her left.

**2 seconds.**

I smiled again, spinning on my heels and rushing towards the right, where a few yards back in the long white hallway sat a room on the left. Now I was going as fast as I could while still seeming relatively human. Finally I reached the polished, wooden door. The dreary **Women** sign stood above me in black and white. Throwing the door open, I ran inside and closed it behind me with super human speed.

Footsteps echoed across the lobby, reaching my attentive ears so clearly I nearly screamed.

Crossing my fingers, I opened the door just a crack so that I could fit through but they couldn't quite see me, standing my ground. I tuned into their words, soaking in every bit of information. Myrtles squeaky voice whispered, "Over there." And then the footsteps headed right towards me. Peaking out of the crack, which faced their direction, I saw a slit of baggy blue uniforms and well-shined, black work boots. They were three yards away. "We'll catch her on unawares," murmured the oldest of the three, whose belly hung and overflowed to cover his belt. Nearly hidden under the flabby skin was the keycard. _Bingo. My ticket to Nessie_.

Still the man continued, apparently one of those security guard-wannabe-cop types, his voice hoarse and conspiratory. "She's holding the door open just a crack – right there, you see. Careful – she must know why we're coming 'cause Myrt said she was acting all scared like. We'll open the door and Bert, you stick to my right so we got her stuck." He nodded toward another man with slightly graying hair and a bland, grimacing face. "First, be real calm. No need to startle her away. Say we just need to talk to her. She tries to leave us, we grab her. Rick, you stay next to the exit. Stop her if she tries to escape."

I saw the fittest one, an 18-year-old boy with short brown hair and large, naive eyes to match, walk over to the main entrance. _So they don't think I would try to go anywhere else… Good to know. _This needed to be done perfectly if I was to succeed. I began to count.

_**1-**_

The others turned to the bathroom. Three yards away I could hear two pairs of boots marched softly in my direction, trying to hide the noise they made.

_**2-**_

They approached the bathroom quickly. Now it was two yards, now one. If I went in between them I would have a clear shot towards the desk. That keycard dangled teasingly from his side. I began to move back and forth, shaking as fast as I could, swiftly switching from foot to foot. Now to any human I was nothing but a blur. I took in deep, calming breathes, like a runner preparing for the Olympics.

_**3!**_

I sped out of the bathroom, leaving the door open just a smidgen, going so speedily that nearly simultaneously my hand shot out and caught the man's keycard, pulling it off with ease. I zipped around the secretaries' desk, leaving behind the security guards that seemed to be moving in slow motion. Myrtle and the other, perkier brown-haired secretary were up from their seats, standing about a yard from the guards and watching intently. _Now comes the tricky part. _

I was up to the door that led to the emergency room, on the other side of the desk, slipping the keycard into the slot. Now I was fully visible, ducking my head. I was well aware that Rick was watching the others intensely, eager to succeed at his job. I bet it was new for him – maybe his very first. But any second his eyes would flicker away for just a second, his concentration faltering. Just a glance is all it would take. The light was still red and unblinking. _Come on, Come on._ I slipped it into the slot again, whispering prayers under my breath. _Please, Please! Turn green!_

The light went out for what seemed like an eternity, finally turning green. I heard a satisfying clicking sound just as a yelp travelled across the room.

I pushed the door open as fast as I could, closing it behind me as it locked. Then I ran, only then allowing myself to look back through the glass doors of the emergency room to see Rick running towards me with his eyebrows furrowed, calling after me angrily. Looking forward again, I nearly ran into an IV. The area was swamped with people – adults silently crying, some with strange reactions that caused their face to swell and become inflamed, others being carried away with gaping wounds. It was a lot to take in all at once – the room was wide, with chairs crammed on all sides, most in tidy rows in front of the desk that held two overworked nurses, writing down numbers and dealing with the moaning and screaming of the sick patients in front of them. One man had angry, red boils crawling across his face and oozing puss. He was crying and groaning at a blonde nurse who desperately told him to calm down.

I blended into the crowd perfectly, dodging a short, pudgy nurse and a tall, blonde man with angry, blue eyes to reach around the corner. Allowing myself to look back once more, I saw the young security guard banging on the door and shouting to no avail. Obviously he hadn't been working there long enough to possess his own keycard. Behind him I caught a glimpse of blue of the others, one holding a key, and in front the blonde nurse in a neat, white uniform tiredly heading towards him to open the door.

I didn't stay to see who would get to him first. Instead I sprinted to the end of the room, my actions completely unnoticed to the oblivious crowd, the amount of people slowly beginning to thin as I reached the end and turned left. It had become a hallway with blue curtains on either side, ones that held the sick. At the end lay only and elevator. _Oh God, Oh God… _I raced to the end at full speed, feet pounding on the well-polished ground and heart thumping in my undead chest. My hair once again flew out of my hair band, but I let it fly away as I focused on reaching my destination, and relative safety.

In a few seconds I neared it and came to a screeching halt, pressing the button forcefully, and then pounding it three times before it turned red. _Let's go, let's go. Ugggghhhhh! _The numbers above the elevator, a bleak yellow color, boldly pronounced **LEVEL 9**. _I'll never get out in time at this rate! They'll be here any second! _I turned around to see if there were any other ways out of the hallway, but there was none besides from where I had came.

Then came the sound of shouting. "Get out of the way, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" I heard the smashing sound of metal and people complaining in protest as they were pushed aside. I turned to the elevator again: **LEVEL 6**. I banged on the metals doors menacingly, causing my knuckles to bleed. The wounds knit them self up almost immediately. Now there was nothing but dried blood on my hands. The screaming got closer and louder – it was obvious they were having trouble making some people move. It was a man and a woman - they seemed to be hysterical, freaking out about how her daughter was swollen like a balloon and needed medical treatment immediately. A smashing noise and grunt indicated one of the guards had been knocked down, then there was a dreadful _SMACK_ that ended with a flurry of activity and what sounded like a full-out fight.

**LEVEL 2**. "Please God!" I murmured a prayer. "Open the doors, quickly!" I screeched in frustration. A few more impatient, frenzied bangs and bloodshot eyes staring intently at the floor sign, daring it to move with my mind - **LEVEL 1.** The bell rang, finally ending my suffering. The doors slowly opened and I slipped in through six inches of space.

That's when I saw the tip of a boot around the corner of the hallway.

I punched the **CLOSE DOOR** sign as hard as I could, seeing the boot followed by a large, blue-uniformed body, then a grim face, and then another body in toe, his stern face too glaring at me intently. These ones were different than the ones earlier – they must have come when the fight broke out. One was lengthy and blonde, the other one muscular with deep black skin. They sprinted down the hallway towards me as the doors began to close. The blonde ran ahead, staring at me intently with his deep, blue eyes and screaming, "STOP! COME BACK –"

The doors were almost fully closed now. His hands reached out in desperation and he sprinted even harder towards the doors, his face bright red and friend trailing behind. I pressed the **LEVEL 2** sign quickly, then hit the back of the elevator, instinctively staying as far away from them as possible. His fingers inched towards the door, feet half a yard way as the doors nearly closed. I heard a scream as his hand flew in between the doors and my breath caught, fearing he would succeed. The coarse fingertips just stopped the doors, becoming squished and red.

My world seemed to move in slow motion, voices outside sounding deep and lethargic. _No, no, no!_ my head was screaming. _I've got to get to Nessie; I've got to get to her. My baby needs me!_ Somewhere deep inside me my heart beat so hard it hurt, banging against my rib cage, so desperate for freedom that it seemed to crush itself and cause me to bleed internally, howling in anxiety and creating a horrific thudding noise.

_Bum-bum. _It burned and seemed to suffocate because of the pure panic, choking and sputtering along sporadically and causing my hands to shake.

_Bum-bum. _Still those deep voices screamed, the thumping of fists and scraping of angry fingers filling my ears, my chest cavity bursting with the activity, the affect on my ears seemingly identical to the scraping of fingernails on chalkboard.

_Bum-bum_. It was all so slow – I looked away, my face moving sluggishly and my eyes shutting, fearing what would happen next. Another loud scream and the bruised fingers in the door seemed to inch slightly downwards, pulling away….

The elevator lurched upwards.


	5. Jump

CHAPTER FIVE

Time finally snapped back before I even knew what was happening – everything sped up. I could hear the machines of the elevator grinding, my heart continuing to pump, my shallow breathing and the steady murmuring of people outside. Then it hit me – I had made it. I was here! _But oh God, where am I going?_ I lurched over to the panel, still finding my way back to a normal heart rate. My hand pressed against the side of the elevator to hold me up.

Carefully I scanned through the labels on different floors – there were ten total; small circular buttons that stared bleakly back at me. I peered around the area, trying to see if there were any labels as to what type of patient goes to each floor. Finding none, I stood and closed my eyes in thought. _What was it with those last guards? I didn't think hospitals usually had security that good… And they were so determined to get me – like they were FBI or something instead of some guys working at a hospital. That's it. I need to get Nessie out of here soon, no matter who finds out about my secret. But how? _Suddenly I was struck by an idea.

I extended my extraordinary senses to see if I could detect any clues as to her location. At first I nearly jerked back at the sudden overflow to my brain, a migraine beginning to form out of fierce concentration. I paused to adjust, pushing past the slight pain. _Focus. Calm. Focus. Tune in on her smell – nothing else in the hospital will have a scent remotely like hers. _

Slowly, the torrential downpour of information to my brain began to lessen, shrinking to only a third of its previous size until my senses focused on only the area directly near me. Now the headache dulled, the edge taken off but it still resting there. At first all I smelled was the new carpet that rested in the elevator, then the iron scent of the elevator doors. Pushing even farther, I smelled the cobwebs and rust in the shaft. Finally, with a violent shove could smell the entire hospital – The noxious bacterial wipes, sweet anti-pain medication, the rubber of the nurses' shoes and bitter antiviral medication. Even the bedpans acrid scent reached my nostrils, making my nose crinkle even as the metallic scent of blood made my mouth water. Still I searched for Resnesmee – a scent completely unique, between the smell of delicious human and deceptively fierce, aromatic vampire. Something sweet and innocent, yet possessing its own kind of fear inducing aroma that comes off a natural born predator. But even more I searched for something that no one but me could detect – no one but me could sense and recognize, fully appreciate. The smell of my family, of partially shared genetics, of the connection between my child and I – what made me her mother and her my child.

So concentrated was I on finding her, that I nearly missed the soft ting of the elevator when I reached the 2nd floor. Only when the door opened and more scents filled my nostrils did I notice, and instantaneously my world seemed to condense and then explode outwards as I felt her presence, her essence filing my being, and I knew exactly where she was. I opened my eyes with a start, seeing a long hallway in front of me, with two nurses, three computers and some steadily beeping, complex machines. They did not even bother to look up and notice me, so busy were they with there own tasks, rushing to and fro. And so was I, as I began a slow jog down the hallway and let my superb sense of direction guide me along the hallway. _Left. Right. Forward._ More rooms went by, more machines and tired nurses. Everything looked the same, no one ever looked up – and my speed only increased as I sensed Nessie growing closer. I sped through the cafeteria, with its few white tables, buffet filled with food that made me queasy and dreary occupants. _Only a bit farther…_ More hallways, more people, more speed.

One last turn and I was nearly there – I could hear Edward, Nessie's shallow breathing and the sound of her fragile, somewhat human heart. The hallway was like every other one, only different. But something was wrong, I could hear arguing – Edward's soothing voice rough with irritation, a woman's filled with indignation and resolve. Cautiously, I neared the edge of the corner, listening in.

"For the last time, _sir_, I'm going to ask you to leave," demanded the brusque woman's voice.

"And for the last time I said no. I'm not leaving," his voice was tired but steady, completely set on not leaving his daughter's bedside.

"That's it, I'm calling security," she stated. I heard her shoes squeak as she turned and exited the door, and I panicked. Peering from around the corner, I saw a stout nurse clothed in all white reaching for the phone. She was the only one in the hallway. Before I knew what I was doing, my hand had risen above my head, facing towards her, and I felt a tug on my insides. Then there was a jolt of energy and she flew into the air, crashing into a machine and hitting her head. It happened so fast that she had no time to scream – the only sound was a large crash as a deep dent formed in the plastic of the machine, green numbers appearing on the screen in a haphazard fashion. Edward appeared out of the room, his beautiful face plagued with anxiety. When I turned around the corner, I made eye contact with him briefly and I could see the worry on his face diminish just a little, before again clouding over at the sight of the nurse.

I hurried past him, stating, "We have to get her out of here. Now." Then I hurried to Nessie's bedside, pausing only briefly at the shock of seeing her pale face, now cleaned of the blood, and her weak form clothed in one of the crumpled blue dresses that the hospital supplies. Then I leaned over her, swiftly and gently pulling off the tubes attached to her arms. Edward hurried behind me and grabbed my hands, his face contorted in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "We can't take her out now, she's too weak." I winced at his loud tone. "They're giving her medicine as we speak," he nodded towards a large bag of orange fluid that seemed to have been previously been dripping into her arm. I feared that his voice would alert the guards.

"And she can't stay. If they see her blood, they'll know she's not normal," I whispered viciously, letting my emotions spill out because of the sheer panic. "What do you think they'll do to her then? They'll cart her off to some facility. Now pick her up, you're faster than me. We have to get her out of here. _Now_. They know something's wrong and guards will be here soon. These guards… There is something off about them. We need to go."

He nodded in shock and lifted her gently from the bed, slight droplets of her precious blood falling from the spots on her arm where the tubes once lay. A determined look on his face, he cradled her in his arms and told me sadly, "They think we abused her." Now his tone was softer, seeming to have noticed the need for silence. "The doctor kept asking me why I didn't get her here faster and I kept telling him that I got her here as fast as I could, but he acted like he didn't believe me. He said there was too much blood loss. Eventually he stopped talking but, Bella, you should have seen the look he gave me. It was like I was some sort of monster." At this his eyes began to water as old wounds were freshly opened.

I touched his arm gently, feeling pained to see him this way. "You're not a monster, Edward. You have to remember their wrong."

He nodded but the look on his face told me that my words had merely scratched the surface on what was an enormous issue. Lost in his eyes for a moment, I was snapped back into the present as I heard a scream from the hallway. My head snapped to the outside and I gestured for Edward to follow. In a blink of an eye I was scanning the hallway to see a young, blonde nurse with frightened eyes running down the hallway and yelling for assistance. When the girl looked back her face looked absolutely terrified, electric blue eyes stretched wide. As I followed her line of vision I noticed the direction in which her face had turned – the older nurse was slumped against the machine in the hallway.

For a brief moment my chest squeezed just slightly in guilt, but I violently shoved the feeling away and ran to the end of the hallway, calling for Edward to follow. I swiftly checked all the hallways for guards, so quickly that any passerby would have thought me to be some dust caught in their eyes, at most. When I returned to Edward in a flash, I saw Renesmee lying across the floor as Edward bent over the older nurse.

He turned to face me with a worried look in his eyes. For a moment my heart nearly stopped. Had I killed her? I never meant to cause that much harm. I remained frozen until he spoke his next words.

"She's still breathing, but her pulse is faint. She should be okay until the medics arrive, but I'm just not sure… She's older and I doubt her heart is very strong." He moved the woman's head just so slightly as to see the back of it. "At least she's not bleeding…" Gently, he brought her down to the ground so that she was lying on her back.

"Edward," I choked. It hurt me greatly to see the hurt I had caused, but we didn't have the time. "We have to go. _Now_. They're coming for us. She'll be okay." The last words I spoke were uncertain, for in all actuality I had no idea of the woman's condition.

He sighed before looking back at me, swiftly grabbing some towels from the nearby table and tucking them under her head. "Okay. Let's go." Once again he had picked up Renesmee and looked at me, the sincere concern slowing turning into fierce determination. But the anxiety was still there. It was so, well, _Edward_ to feel that way. It made me feel like I was a bad person for being the monster that left the woman there, but someone had to make the hard decisions.

In a brief moment I once again heard the clack of the security guard's boots. They came from directly in front of us, where the blonde nurse had ran. It had only been a few seconds since she disappeared down the hallway – in my vampire state it had been more like minutes- and it amazed me that they had responded so quickly. I had not at all comprehended that it was possible. And something about the scent was off…

_Oh. My. God. _There are vampires in their midst. I could smell them.

I felt a slash of wind against my neck as Edward appeared next to me, a frantic and resolute look in his eyes. He noticed them too. Something was very wrong here. We needed to get out, no matter what the cost. Even if it meant revealing our vampire identities.

Now his deep black eyes gazed upon me and I gestured for him to follow. Turning to the left, I took his hand and nodded forwards, silently communicating the need to move forward. He nodded back and then we were a blur in a hallway, that unexplainable breeze, the sudden chill that strikes a person for no particular reason, like a ghost. So quickly we dashed that soon I had once more reached the elevator.

By now the guards had begun to close in on is – we heard a new set of shoes sprinting down the hallway towards us. I turned to that sound, estimating it as about ten yards away. _No time to wait for the elevator._ When my eyes returned to Edward he handed me Resnesmee, whose head I carefully cradled in my arms, and walked towards the doors. Cracking his neck muscles and stretching his arms, he took a deep breath and wedged his arms in between the two metal doors.

But even as he readied himself to open the doors, I began to panic.

More boots joined in the sprint after us.

Now he pulls with all of his might with first a large yank that left little affect, then a strong struggle to pull them open.

They get closer.

Beads of sweat begin to drip down his face, fingerprints finding their way into the metal.

Now I can hear their voices off in the distance;

"Get them!"

"This way!"

"Quick, they've got the kid!"

A loud screech echoes across the hall as Edward finally finds leeway and, slowly, the elevator opens an inch.

They're so close now. Maybe two turns away. I become desperate. Placing Renesmee on the ground, I stand by Edward to try to get through the metal. I move his left hand away and he glances at me briefly as we communicate almost telepathically. _Pull on the count of three._

Now the guards are yards away, their hoarse voices clear, loud breathing painstakingly obvious.

_One. Two. Thre_e! We both pull with all of our might to open the doors, forgetting about being seen, being discovered – only reaching safety with our daughter in hand. With a final heave the doors ground inwardly and slam to the sides. I grab Renesmee in a millisecond, briefly looking down the hallway to see the first security guard's face appear on my line of vision. There is a soft clanging and I look to see Edward hanging on the wires on the inside of the elevator shaft. He is perfectly balanced on the chunk of metal below him; steady hands caked from grease that lay on the line he clung to. It is so dark in there that I can only see him using my vampire vision. But even then when he nods at me swiftly, opening his second arm wide, I know what to do.

Looking back I see three guards shouting at me angrily, their reinforcements close behind. The expression on their face changes to one of complete shock and horror at what I do next.

Walking a few steps back, I charge headfirst into the elevator, diving for my lover's arms.


	6. Bottle Blonde Hair Dye and a Plan

Authors note: Here's the next chapter. I am going to try to publish more often – trust me, there is tons more on the way soon. Happy New Years! Enjoy and review!

CHAPTER 6

As I leaped to the opening of the elevator shaft my keen vampire senses kicked into gear. My hair flew into my face, the wires from the broken elevator sending icy blue electrical charge across my cheek and wind stung eyes. Edward's open hand stretched out as he angled his body towards me, bracing himself for my impact. Behind him lay the side of the elevator shaft, all too close with its sharp metal edges, like snakes eager to catch their prey in their fierce jaws, and large electrical circuits itching to catch us in their web of fiery energy, to leave us singed and aflame. Still he came closer as I, too, readied myself for the collision. Finally I reached him and my upper body slammed into his, making my chest burn as it had not since I had become a vampire.

Although Edward, too, grimaced from the pain, the way he caught me was swift and exact, throwing his body wait carefully. But still we swung at a precariously fast speed towards the sharps edges of the metal shaft. He grasped me around the middle, using his body as a shield for the side if we collided, as I too held Renesmee away from the same danger.

Closer.

Closer.

_Closer_.

We slam into the side, bruising my shoulders and jostling Nessie and I violently. Besides that Renesmee and I were unharmed – but Edward's scream of pain was clearly audible. As we swing back my heart cries out pitifully, wishing desperately that I had the space to turn and see what had happened to him. But instead my eyes turned back to the guards, who were now nearing us, as if in slow motion. They were about two yards away.

I screamed angrily at them, clutching Renesmee closer to my chest as we neared the door to the elevator at a slower speed, getting nearer and nearer to the guards, nearly going out of the elevator door until we stopped abruptly as the wire slammed into the wall above us. Now we moved backwards once more, and Edward's chokes slowly decreased in volume as we neared the jagged wall, only to miss it just barely and swing back. Now the guards were leaning over the side, so close that if we moved just a few feet they would catch us and pull us back inside.

Now there was just two feet.

Then one.

Now we were a few inches from the guards' grubby hands, the ones that would snatch Renesmee from my arms which held her so tightly, my white knuckled fists itching to punch a particular red-haired guard so hard in the nose that it would hit his brain and kill him.

"Hold on tight," commanded Edward. Then we were plunging downwards, away from six guards who all struggled not to fall into the shaft, their hands desperate and now violent, trying to claw at me. The redhead succeeded in drawing a thin line of blood on Nessie's arm, try at I might to stop him. I reached out and grabbed his wrist as his once confident green eyes stared in horror, and I mercilessly crushed the bones in it to dust. He recoiled, screeching in pain, blood from his wound pouring out as tears fled from his eyes in trucks.

The last thing I saw before all went dark was a man, who's skin sparkled oddly in the sun, decked in a long, ill-fitting doctor's uniform. His cold, red eyes blinked at me with smug satisfaction. Then all went grey and my heart began to pound as we kept dropping,

Dropping,

Dropping,

Dropping.

My stomach rose into my chest. I looked down the shaft, my eyes watering from the gusts of air blowing into them. My hair flew above me, clothes clinging to my body. But almost as soon as we had started the dropping, a large creaking noise filled the shaft.

I could feel Edward once again getting a grip on the wire, and a soft whistling noise filled the air as he grabbed it with all his strength. We began to slow, even as the wire tore through his skin, which healed almost automatically. Now when I looked down I saw the reason: directly below us was a series of red lights that rested in a solid square - the elevator was moving downwards, but not quickly enough. My breath caught as we began to slow down even more, the wind still stealing air away from the lungs that still struggled to work on their own.

It was too close. We could not slow down in time; this was going to be a painful impact. I refused to close my eyes – it was like watching a train wreck. Automatically I brazed myself for the heavy hit, pulling Renesmee up to my chest and having my legs tighten in place.

Then we hit it. There was a large thudding noise as we smashed into the metal of the elevator, causing a substantial dent in the top. My feet slammed into it painfully, knees buckling as Edward's did the same. The amount of pressure our feet had taken would have caused the average human to crumple to the ground, each bone in their foot crushed beyond recognition, knees jabbing through their skin, until finally their head hit the shaft where at best they would be left unconscious and bleeding. The more likely scenario would be a fatally broken neck.

But we merely took in a deep breath, waiting for the few broken bones in our toes to knit back together. Then we were both checking each inch of Renesmee – Edward took her into his arms and I cushioned her head. We lifted her arms and legs, checking them to make sure there were no broken bones. Her skin was pale, so very pale, both arms covered with trickles of blood from the guards and the tubes in the hospital, bronze curls still matted with dried blood, blue dress torn and filthy. I carefully took her wrist and checked the pulse – it was weak but still there. Although it was fading.

Just then her head turned in my arms, eyes fluttering open as a whimper escaped her lips. "Mommy, it hurts…" Large, pained brown eyes looked up at me from heavy lidded eyelids.

My heart nearly broke at the sound. "It's going to be okay, sweetie," I told her as I choked back tears. "We're going to get you help. I promise."

"Okay, Mommy," she whispered, eyes closing once again.

Looking up, I saw Edward's face – for just a moment he seemed to break, to give up. Just a second. Then he was handing Renesmee to me, eyes filled with steady resolve. He knelt at our feet, brown hair flying back from the wind as he began to pry open the door to the inside of the elevator. It was not easy feet, considering the square black door was badly bent from our impact.

Finally he yanked it open with insane strength, looking in to see a woman staring at us in shock from below.

"Hop in," he instructed me, looking me in the eye as he gestured to the insides. "Be careful. I'll be in next."

I did as I was told and was in there in a millisecond, closely followed by a soft _thud_ as he found his place by my side. To our right was a woman, about twenty-five years old, staring at us with a shocked look on her face. Her fake blonde hair was neat and perfect, sparkling blue eyes filled with fear – tall and slender, she wore a navy blue suit and carried a brown Hermes purse, which she clutched against her chest defensively.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?" she asked. "I don't think you should be here… How did you dent the ceiling?" Her eyes flashed with confusion.

I ignored her and turned to the panel of buttons; seeing that we were on level one, about to arrive on the ground level in an amount of seconds.

I turned to Edward. "You ready? They'll be out there waiting for us." He nodded solemnly. "There's something odd about them, I'm telling you," I leaned in close and murmured so the woman would not hear – "There was vampires with them. I could smell it. And I saw one – he had black hair and was dressed up as a doctor."

He spoke in the same tone, "Yes, I noticed it too. Do you think it is the Vulturi? I can't think of anyone else who is out to harm us, but…"

The woman in the corner rudely cut off Edward. "Excuse me? Did you not hear me earlier? What are you doing here?" Turning, I could see that now the woman's purse was gripped at her sight, eyes flaming with contempt and overconfidence. Now her voice dripped with a tone that told us of hold she believed herself superior, one that came from a self-entitled brat. "Are you deaf? What is your problem? You cannot just break into an elevator! I have friends in the police department, you know. I'm going to sue-"

Now I cut her off, handing Renesmee to Edward and getting right up into her face. "You know, what, you spoiled, overconfident airhead, I have had a _really_ bad day. Downright awful, in fact. And I do not like being bossed around by some stupid." I jabbed my finger in her face to punctuate each word, "Obnoxious. Bottle-blonde _moron_ who thinks she's better than everyone else. Yeah, that's right, I know your type." Now I could feel her breath on my face I was so close. Still she seemed to cling to some sort of pride, trying to straighten out her shoulders, although she instinctively stepped back.

Something about this entire situation, about being pushed around for so long as a human, about almost losing the two people I hold most dear so many times in my life, had made me grow angrier. Ever since I had become a vampire I felt something changing within me.

"But, I…" She squeaked, raising her hand with its hot pink nail polish as if to make a point.

"But nothing," I stated viciously. I backed her up into the wall of the elevator. Her hands went out to grip the rail with white-knuckled hands behind her, dropping her bag on the floor. She didn't seem to notice. "Now if I were you, I'd be quiet. _Really_ quiet. So that I can't even hear your _breath_." By now her blue eyes were huge saucers, all confidence cleared away and replaced by fear. "'Cause if I hear you make so much as a _peep_, I will not only rip out your completely _fake_ hair, but also punch you in the nose so hard that you won't wake up for a week." At this she gasps, eyes growing so wide that they looked dangerously close to popping out of her skull. One hand flies up over her nose protectively. "And considering the fact that your God _awful _nose job was probably pretty expensive, I'd keep your big mouth shut. Got it?" She nodded so severely that I thought I heard her small brain rattling around in her head.

I point to the corner in the back of the elevator. "Now be a nice little girl and sit over there so I can speak with my husband," I smirk evilly, anger finally beginning to dissipate as I see her grab her purse and slowly head toward the corner, finally leaning against the side and sliding to a sitting position. Once again she holds her purse to her chest, but now her eyes look forward fearfully, body shaking.

I return my gaze to Edward and he raises his eyebrow disapprovingly, although I see the empathy in his face as clear as day. He found the woman just as annoying as I did. He made no further reaction.

I return to his side, picking up from where we left off. "Our best shot is asking Carlisle. He knows them better than we do – their tricks, their motives, their rules. Maybe we stumbled over a few of their laws accidentally. Not that they need a reason. If anything, we need to warn them that someone is after us. I doubt whoever it is only has a problem with us." He nods in agreement.

Just then the bell rings, telling us that the door will open soon. I turn to Edward and talk to him as rapidly as I can muster. "I guess we'll just have to think on our feet. Whatever you do, just run as fast as you can. Get out of here and don't look back. I'll try to distract them if need be – don't you _dare_ say otherwise. We don't have time, Edward." He had raised his hand to cut in, mouth open to protest. Now his face fell just so slightly, although the slight refusal in his eyes did not leave. "Listen, you have Nessie. It makes the most sense you do because you're faster than me. We have to take care of her. She takes priority over me, Edward. She's too weak. And besides, if they take me I might just be a prisoner for a while." The last words were a bit forced, because I had no idea what they would do to me, or what they wanted. Still he seems to reject the idea, although now he nods, conceding to my point.

The doors begin to open, so slowly.

I turn to Edward. "Ready?"

He answered readily, shifting Renesmee to over his shoulder to free his hands and preparing his stance. We can begin to see a row of men with guns lining up in front of us.

He answers softly, "As much as I'll ever be."


	7. Negotiator

Author's Note: So here's the next chapter. I know it's kind of short but that's just how it worked out. Again, reviews are welcome. So are suggestions. I have the basic plot in my head already but I am always looking for new ideas. Thanks for all the people who have already reviewed! And for anyone who is reading this! This chapter is dedicated to you. Oh, and **KhAndTwilightFan15: **What do you find confusing? Because this story is my first non-one shot, so I am still working out how to do it. Any information is really useful! Thanks again and enjoy!

CHAPTER 7

There is a wall of security guards in front of us, although their faces look like they more likely belong to the FBI. Behind them stand twenty or so other men and women, some in suits or official FBI uniforms. Flanking the entire group is the vampire I saw earlier, lab coat flowing behind him and red eyes glittering, hungry for blood.

At last minute I grabbed the woman in the elevator, who was still frozen from shock. She may have been annoying, but I could not leave her behind to be shot by a stray bullet. Instead I clutch her in front of me, making sure that all can see. _They wouldn't risk shooting a civilian, right?_

The door finally opens fully and all in cast into silence. We watch them carefully to see when they will make their first move. They seem shocked to see the woman in my arms, but they respond quickly.

A taller man in an FBI suit walks through the wall of agents in security guard uniform, wading through them as if he were parting the Red Sea. He stands in front of us now, his face grim, brown hair in a severe buzz cut and a white, curly wire from an earpiece dangling down his neck. He appears to be unarmed, although my keen senses allow me to hear the slight sound of a gun clinking, tucked into his left sock.

His face is calm – he seems to be a negotiator.

"You're surrounded," he states, eyes staring cool and collected into mine. He is good – very convincing. His gaze reads confidence and power, but not a threat, calm and composed, but not without emotion and plenty of skill to use if need be. "If you let go of the woman and the girl, things will be better for you. Trust me. Let them go and come over here, so we can talk like civilized people. I don't want to have to hurt you."

But even as I was analyzing his strengths my mouth spread into and snarl and I began to spit out words in rapid succession: "I sincerely doubt that. How about you let us go on our way and no one gets hurt?" I threw my arm around the woman's neck, who still stared blankly into the front. Her arms weakly grabbed mine, as if in some sad attempt to assure that I did not choke her. A feral part of me came out, snarling and snapping within my chest.

The man took one step towards us, his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "You wouldn't do that. It will just make things worse for you."

"You wanna test that theory? You really wanna try me? I _dare_ you," at this point I was literally growling, my grip around the woman's neck tightening. She gagged just so slightly, face seeming to come back to life as salty tears trickled down her cheeks. I felt them fall onto my arm. But still she remained completely silent.

He advanced even further. "Let's all calm down here. I know you don't want to do that."

"Back _off_! Step back or I'll kill her! I swear to God!" I stared at him menacingly, a wild part of me coming out. I felt the power tingling in my hands, the ability to end a person's life. If anyone looked into my eyes at that moment, they would not see a person's soul – they would see a savage beast, one who relished that mere thought of spilling blood. Part of me believed that it was fake, simply part of fooling the wall of people in front of me, but another seemed to say that it was as real as it could get.

The man froze for a second, seeming to try to assess the situation. Edward took this moment to lean over and whisper urgently to me, his warm breath spilling into my ear. "It's a distraction- more guards are on their way. I can hear them. We don't have the time – we have to go now. Just drop the woman and go, Bella. Let her go and we'll run."

Even now there was no guarantee that we would make it through – in front of us were at least twenty men, all ready to shoot if need be. Even if we barreled through all of them, there was no guarantee that we would be able to get through without being shot. Or, more importantly, caught by something or someone. If they had a vampire on their side, knowingly or not, it was safe to assume they had information on how to handle us.

But just as these doubts raced through my head, I heard a man talking in the crowd, looking at us with fierce, naive eyes. "Shut-up!" This man, one of the FBI-looking guards, had stood, his young face flushed with anger. He grabbed the negotiator's jacket. "What are you doing? Let's take them out!"

The man spun around to face him, face full of anger at the disrespect shown to him by his inferior. His voice was stern, barely concealing his impatience. "Resume you position, Red!" All the guards were tense and distracted by the scene enfolding in front of them, confident that we could not escape.

"Now!" Edward hissed in between closed teeth. I threw the woman into the depths of the elevator, confident she would be safe as we moved and the doors to the elevator closed, and we all both bolted at top speed. I shoved a pack of three guards at once, pushing them back into the ones behind them before they even had a chance to blink. They all fell like bowling pins, and Edward and I darted over the shell-shocked bodies, the entire scene moving in slow motion because of our vampire abilities. As we ran farther down the hallway, the guards thinned and we just barreled through any that were in our way, the agents slamming into sides of the hallway.

Soon we were in the emergency reception area, then grabbing the glass door, trying to pull it open. Only now do the agents seem to realize we are gone, and the five or so men in the area pull their guns out, although at our speed it seems as if they are moving through gelatin. I dart forward to the first man, a wiry guy whose itchy trigger finger meant that his handgun was nearly completely raised by the time I reached him. Grabbing the gun, I threw it at the whitewashed wall behind the reception desk. It went off with a loud bang and smoke flew outwards, blemishing the white paint with black soot, still slower than what I was used to.

Then I was speeding toward a severe looking blonde woman in a sniper's outfit reading FBI, who crouched behind the same desk, – her gun was long, probably a rifle, and her finger was clearly placed on the trigger, sluggishly pulling it back. This gun I disassembled in a brief second. I had learned from the last.

The next three were easy as pie – the men were obviously put in the back of the line for their lack of speed. Each had their fingers wrapped around the gun, prepared to shoot. But none of them saw me, their slow human brains making it so their eyes were staring forward blankly. They were looking frantically around the room, struggling to comprehend their invisible foe. Each gun I disassembled in a millisecond, throwing the pieces to the floor.

By the time I turned around, I saw Edward heave the entirety of the glass door in another direction with only his left arm to maneuver as he held Nessie closely to his side. We were going so quickly that I did not even hear the grating noise until we were out into the hallway, the sound waves moving slower than we did. We sped across to the door, now completely ignoring the ten agents that swarmed in the area. They were the equivalent of stupid slugs; ones whose brains and bodies were no match for our spectacular speed.

I smashed through the glass door, not willing to wait for the doors to open on their own. Edward followed close behind, clutching Nessie close to avoid the glass.

_One more door… One more door…_ I reached forward, only to be stopped in my tracks.

I slammed into something hard – it felt like hitting a brick wall as a human. It was another vampire – his skin was as pale as snow, crimson eyes matching his ruby-red hair perfectly. He snarled viciously as I scrambled back. Now he was staring at me mercilessly, even as I prepared for a fight. I could sense Edward behind me, cradling Renesmee in his arms protectively. Guns clicked in the background – we had little time before they started shooting.

"Run, Edward," I hissed, still glaring deep into the other vampire's eyes. Then I jumped onto this strange foe viciously, tearing at his skin with my teeth like a savage animal. I tore out clumps of his hair and grabbed his head as I gnawed at his eyeballs with as much force as I could muster. It was a frenzied attack, working as hard as I could. He screamed with fury, pushing me into a wall as if I were a toy. He was a new vampire, then. One on human blood. I stood very little chance.

By the time I was able to open my eyes, he was coming at me again. I could only hope that Edward had seized the time I had allotted for him. Now I had to focus on my own survival.


End file.
